Читать книгу Murder At the Cubbyhole - Alice Zogg - Страница 4

Megan rose to her feet from a kneeling position, lifted her eyes and arms to heaven and proclaimed, “I swear to God and to the world, justice is ultimately served!”

The final curtain of the play From Sin to Virtue fell, and tremendous applause thundered through the small playhouse. When it was raised again and the entire cast took a unanimous bow, the enthusiastic audience gave a standing ovation.

A tall and portly man in center-fifth orchestra row scrambled to his feet and cried out, “Amateurs!”

His companion, a small bald man, raising his voice in an effort to be heard over the noise of people clapping, stated, “I liked it.”

“A bunch of amateurs,” the former insisted, “The characters Vanity and Mother Earth were the only ones worth a damn, until Vanity screwed up her last line!”

“I didn’t notice,” the bald man murmured as he followed his friend out of the theater.

People shuffled toward the exit of the auditorium as cast members made themselves available in the lobby for a chat with fans.

Minutes later, Megan sat at her dressing table backstage, taking off the heavy stage makeup. She stared at her mirror image, lost in thought. The young woman was well cast as the character Vanity with her hazel eyes, thick dark-brown hair, high cheekbones, 22- inch waist, and a general air of arrogance. Did I get the point across with my last line? Will anyone even make the connection? she wondered. Maybe there’s nothing to worry about and I’m just paranoid, she reflected, shrugging off her fear. Then she glanced at the corner table and noticed the pot of exquisite Cattleya orchids with fuchsia and light-pink flowers peeking out of its bright red aluminum foil wrapping. How sweet, a Valentine from a fan, she thought. Searching for a card and finding none, she bent over the orchid pot, reaching deep into its depth.

An ear-piercing explosion shook the dressing room, and her last thought before she left this world was, “They wasted no time!”